Closure means for super freezer doors



Sept. 30, 1952 J- V. JAMISON, JR

CLOSURE MEANS FOR SUPER FREEZER DOORS 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed Oct. 9, 1950 L/irz pa acea 21907:, (77? Mme, (8.2;; Aw WWW:

Patented Sept. 30, 1952 r CLO SURE MEANS 'FgRssUPER FREEZERNZ J J JohnNincent.lamis'om Jn, Hagerstown, Md.,"as- .o

signori. tonJamison Cold Storage'iDoorCm, Hage'rstownfMfl a corporation of Maryland m f' The inventiome'relates "tor/newt and useful improvements winxca closures means sfor. a.- super; v freezer doorlo'fth overlanztypesfor;commercial h: refrigerat-ors andfreezer structures.v r

In thezabove: type Qfi'rdOOT/HIB dooroverlapst the dooriframenand between the door';and the framev-ristethe 'sealingngasket. The tightness ;of the seal 'when-':the. door is:closedcdependswupon the compression force of the door against theta gasket. 1 It .is;a. commolnfgexpedienti toruse-spring"; pressedm latchingndevicess font -pressing;-=the door v against the gasketswhen'eclosed fon sealing the '1.""Whe'neice; or) frost accumulates :on the gasket; whichrlioftemfoccurs with superrr freezers," the slammingmfithei door iinto' ehgagamer-1t:with 1. the springzpressedclatching :de'rvices and against the gasket doestnottightlyriseal'uthe;door;:r

An object:ofithefinventionisito:provide asuperm freezenrdocrr oflthe overlap types-having associ.;.

ated ==therewith- :spring rpress'emrlatching :1 devices 2 for holding i'th'e 'doorgzfclosedp"with-ca manually'w operated- IeVerimea'ns for:positively-fforcingi@the 1:1 door-'against -the gasketzsozthatfitwilrbe helds'in tightsealed engagernntrthermithiby;the/spring: pressed latching deviceszivtii 'v A further *bbjectl of the i invention iisctozprovide a lever operatingmeanssfor forcin'gs'ithe .door {1.1; against=th gaske I hiclwiis also equipped-ion applying' force to' th doorfor 'releasingsit from 1:5 the gasket and fofi o'peI- ing the"doors v A still furtherobiect of the invention is to'zpro- :1: vide a means for 'positively nlosing: -the door.:-t against the sealing gasket and releasing the door therefrom which eludes: a manually operated lever- 'mounted pn the edge o-f the door, .rwhich lever hasa contact 'en'd adapted ta engagea fulf crum-member-on the'door frame fon-forcing the door to closed positiorr when moved in-one direc tion and wherein the contact end engages the door-frame when=moved in 'the other direction for releasingthe door from the gasket; I In the-drawingsflwhich show" by -"Way-of-il1us-' trationoneembodifne'rit of theinventionz Figure-Idea front 'view of aportion of a super freezer-showing--the 'door for' closing the opening to the freezer-, --its rfiounting," andfthe closurer meanstherefor;

Figure'2is a sectional view on the line 2-"-2 of Figure 1'-;'-' v Figure are a sectional view'on the line 3-=-3'of-- Figu'fe rg v Figure 4 is a sectional viewonthe line 4- 4of Figuii lq and Figure-"5 is Y a "sectional-view of the" lever -0 n"- the v "4 Clain'i's..'l (crass-+72) door frame at the-r top and atr-both-asideseof the t is pivotedat- 20. A-coil spr-ingnz-l; serves tmmo vec 2 tion.. This coil springabutss-against a plate 22 which is adjustableaby meanstofsarbolt -23 for inside. of the door fomdpening'thesameiand the mounting therefor. a v

The invention has. to-Hdo ,witha closure means i for super-freezer doorsoft the overlapatype; -,A

portion of the freezerrorl refrigerator istinolicated W z r at [0 in'the drawings... lThe opening leading to the interior of the freezer .isindicatedrindottedm lines. at. II. The sidesiaofwthe dooreframewsur .1- rounding the openingareindicatedxat .l 2- l-Z andy the uppertrim of the dooraframe is-rindicated The opening. lLleadingetothe-interior.of thei freezer is closed byta doorxliwhich overlaps theme opening. The door -ismountedonhinges; oneof which is shown-at; l5.- These hingesnareot the usualconstruction .and -a detailed description thereof is not thoughtnnecessary.

The door is hel'd in closed position by tvto spring P :lpressed latching-devices;which are similaruinsconstruction and are indicated -;-at t6: :Eachwm' spring pressed latching dewiceincludes a h'ousingi -13 I! which is rigidlyeattached" tomthe doo-r frame; l2. Mounted withinithe; housingais a -latching lever I 8 carrying Jas roller -I 9-.1.-.The latching leverthe latching lever in a counterclockwise direc-.

increasing ordecreasing-the latching force iofthe latchingleven: The housing-has a projecting; lug 2 which serves assa stop-fonlimitingthemove-i: ment of the latchingilever whenthe. door-is in v open-position.-

Eachwlatchingsglevlce includes as keeper 25:mounted on the edge: ofsthe doors-t4.-

- This keeper 2 5 is: secured. tor-the door-tby clampe (,1

ing bolts z'fifi The keeper has artapered -face'l'l and a taperedface28=whlchrrneettolformta locking shouldera-ZS.v JIYhe keepersmayibe adjust ed l to changevthe position'ofi-rthe locking-shoulder 2:99: on the edge of the doors- W i v v Between the d'ooran'd theldoor fram'e is ages-"=- ket 30.1 This gasket is.ofithefuituaL.construction.

-Wherl'fthe door isoldsedlit contacts the gasket 11' tending to turn the'latching"lever irfa clockwise"? i direction 'Wi11, t0 a bertain'extentfpress. the'door L against. the ga'sket'.""'The "pressure" 'of the latch lines in Figure 3.

against the keeper may be adjusted by turning the bolt 23. It often occurs in these super freezers that ice or frost will accumulate on the gasket. When the door is slammed into engagement with the spring pressed latching devices and into engagement with the gasket, the ice or frost on the gasket will prevent the tightly sealing of the door.

The present invention has particularly to do with a manually operated means for forcing the door into tight sealing engagement with the gasket. This manually operated means includes 7 The housing has an outwardly projecting portion 38, and pivotally mounted in this outwardly projecting portion of the housing is a fulcrum plate Said plate is pivoted at 40 and normally swings by gravity to the position shown in full Said plate has a shoulder 4| which engages an abutment stop 42. The lower side of this fulcrum plate is curved as indicated at 43. The free end of the fulcrum plate is provided with a, projecting flange and the outer face 44 of the flange is curved about a pivot 4|] as a center.

As shown in Figure 3, the door is in closed position. When it moves to closed position the contact end of the lever 3| passes the fulcrum plate 39. The contact end 33 of the lever will engage the curved face 43 and move the plate in a clockwise direction as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3. Just as soon as the contact end passes the fulcrum plate it will drop to the full line position and inward movement of the handle end of the lever 3| will cause the contact member to engage the fulcrum plate and this enables the lever to force the door against the gasket so as to compress the same regardless of any frost or ice thereon and thus produce a tight seal for the door all the way around the door.

The lever 3| is provided with an arcuate slot 45 and a pin 46 carriedby the bracket 34 engages said slot. Whenthe door is in open position the lever 3| will swingso that the pin 4'6 is intermediate the ends of the slot. When the door is pushed towards closed position if the fulcrum plate 39 should stick for any reason then the lever will be turned in a clockwise direction'until the pin 46 engages the end 41 of the slot. The lever cannot turn further and will force the fulcrum plate so that the lever will pass the same and then swing to theiposition shown in full lines in Figure 3. After the lever contact end has passed the fulcrum plate it will swing to the full line position shown in this figure. If the door is not tightly sealed, pressure on the handle end of the lever will cause the contact end of the lever 3| to engage the fulcrum plate and pressure on the handle end will provide a leverage for forcing the door against the gasket so as to insure a tightsealing of the door. The spring pressed latching devices will automatically hold the door in the tightly sealed position to which it had been forced by the lever 3|. When it is desired to open the door the handle end of the lever 3| is grasped and pulled upon and this will turn the lever so that the contact end 33 4 thereof will contact with the bracket 36 on the door trim. Pressure applied to the handle end of the lever 3| to move it in a counterclockwise direction will force the door toward open position so as to break it loose from the gasket or the gasket from the door trim depending whether or not the gasket is attached to the door or the door trim. As soon as the door moves a slight distance from the gasket, then further pressure on the handle end of the lever 3| will move the end 48 of the slot 45 into contact with the pin which will limit the turning movement of the lever in a counterclockwise direction and therefore the door may be pulled to full open position. The door shown is equipped with a device for forcibly opening the door from the inside thereof. Said device includes a supporting bracket 43 5| which holds the contactend 52 of the lever in contact with the base portion of the bracket 49. Mounted on the door trim I2 is a plate 53 carrying a lug 54 which normally overlies the contact end 52 of the lever 50. When it is desired to open the door the handle end 55 of the lever is moved toward the door and in the direction for opening the door. The contact end will engage the lug 5 4 and this provides a leverage whereby the door may be forced past the spring pressed latches and moved to open position.

The essential features of theimproved door closure means-for closing and opening the door include the spring pressed'latching means for holding the door closed. One of these is shown in Figure 1 at 6. The other is located on the door frame or trim toward the lower end thereof. Another feature of the "door closure means is the lever mounted on the edge portion of the door which cooperates with a fulcrum plate to provide a leverage for forcing .the door into sealed tight engagement with the gasket associated with the door even though ice or frost has accumulated on the gasket. This same lever forcing the door to" closed position when moved in the opposite direction would force the door so as to release the door from its contact with the gasket after which the door may be pulled to full open position by the aid of said lever. Still another feature of the door closing and opening means is the lever arrangement'on the inside of the door which may be operated from within the freezer for forcing the door so as to release it from the spring pressed latches.

While one illustrated embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that many changes in the details of construction and the arrangements of parts may be made without 'departingfrom the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A closure means for an overlap super freezer door comprising a bracket secured to the edge portion of the door, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on said bracket for swinging movement in a plane at right angles to the plane of the door, a housing mounted on the door frame, a fulcrum plate pivotally supported by to the lever will force the door into tightly sealed closed position against a, sealing gasket.

2. A closure means for an overlap super freezer door comprising a bracket secured to the edge portion of the door, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on said bracket for swinging movement in a plane at right angles to the plane of the door, a housing mounted on the door frame, a fulcrum plate pivotally supported by the housing, a stop for limiting the swinging movement of said fulcrum plate, said fulcrum plate being so disposed that the contact end of said lever will engage the fulcrum plate and swing it away from the stop and pass the same when the door is moved to closed position, permitting the fulcrum plate to swing back to normal position against the stop and serve as the fulcrum for said lever whereby pressure applied to the lever will force the door into tightly sealed closed position against the sealing gasket, said lever when pulled upon operating to contact the door frame so as to forcibly release the door from the gasket and move the same to open position.

3. A closure means for an overlap super freezer door comprising a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the edge portion of the door and adapted to swing in a plane at right angles to the plane of the door a housing mounted on the door frame, a fulcrum plate pivotally supported by the housing, a stop for limiting the swinging movement of the fulcrum plate, said fulcrum plate being so disposed that the contact end of the lever will engage said plate and swing it away from the stop and pass the same when the door is moved to closed position, permitting the fulcrum plate to swing back into normal position against the stop and serve as the fulcrum for said lever whereby pressure applied to the lever will force the door into tightly sealed closed position against the sealing gasket, said lever when pulled upon operating to contact the door frame so as to forcibly release the door from the gasket and move the same to open position.

4. A closure means for an overlap super freezer door comprising a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the edge portion of the door and adapted to swing in a plane at right angles to the plane of the door a housing mounted on the door frame, a fulcrum plate pivotally supported by the housing, a stop for limiting the swinging movement of the fulcrum plate, said fulcrum plate being so disposed that the contact end of the lever will engage said plate and swing it away from the stop and pass the same when the door is moved to closed position, permitting the fulcrum plate to swing back into normal position against the stop and serve as the fulcrum for said lever whereby pressure applied to the lever will force the door'into tightly sealed closed position against the sealing gasket, and spring pressed latching means independent of said lever for holding the door in closed position, said lever when pulled upon operating to contact the door frame and forcibly release the door from the spring latching means.

JOHN VINCENT J AMISON JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 517,353 Millard Mar. 27, 1894 1,078,549 Northey Nov. 11, 1913 1,127,116 Thorne Feb. 2, 1915 1,290,283 Mitchell Jan. 7, 1919 1,532,447 Schrader Apr. 7, 1925 1,861,579 North June 7, 1932 ,046,892 Blum July 7, 1936 2,147,794 Leonard et a1 Feb. 21, 1939 2,295,827 Breen et al Sept. 15, 1942 2,389,056 Jamison, Jr. Nov. 13, 1945 2,405,887 Hoffman Aug. 13, 1.946 2,422,770 Blum June 24, 1947 

